Feature: Jade Day marked in Canada to promote precious gemstone

The Canadian province of British Columbia is a big producer of jade, which was named the province's official gemstone in 1968 and is one of the biggest sources of its pride, but many people here do not realize that.

Comparatively speaking, jade is far more prized in China and other Asian countries than it is here. To promote the gemstone, business leaders and politicians teamed up three years ago to create B.C. Jade Day - an event that aims to increase appreciation of B.C. jade. And on Saturday in Vancouver, stakeholders gathered to mark the event once again.

Richard Lee, a member of B.C. legislature, is one of the driving forces that finally made the Jade Day happen in B.C. three years ago.

"Since two years ago, the industry has been growing more than 20 percent and also the value of the jade actually increases, part of the reason is that we are working on the promotion as well as on the awareness of the importance of jade, B.C. jade," Lee told Xinhua in downtown Vancouver.

There are currently six large jade producers active in B.C. during the summer months, and 50 known jade deposits. Production of B.C. nephrite jade has doubled in recent years, and the average price for high quality jade has increased from 600 Canadian dollars (462 U.S. dollars) to 1,000 Canadian dollars (770 U.S. dollars) per kilogram since 2009.

About 800 to 1,200 tons of B.C.-produced jade are sold annually on the global market. Once it is made into a finished product, B.C. jade can sell for up to 10 times its original price.

"The jade industry leaders are really keen on establishing training programs. This is a great industry for the future, and the rate of growth could be ten times in the near future," Lee added.

Members of the industry here say the promotion of B.C. jade has improved in the last couple of years now that the province is cooperating with producers.

Sam Peng, president of Canadian International Jade and Cultural Promotion Center, has also actively engaged in the jade business and research. He said that over the past few years, he found more and more Chinese buyers are interested in purchasing B.C. jade, and more and more local tourist stores are selling jade now.

The key to properly marketing B.C. jade is to convert it into beautiful art, said well-known Chinese-Canadian artist Charles Hu. His favorite subjects to sculpt are Canadian wildlife like eagles, bears and fish.

He said his work has been inspired by First Nations jade artists, who have long appreciated the valuable gemstone.

"Because the wildlife and the animals represent Canada and North America, so we carve the jade into lovely animals. We are just beginning and I hope more young people will join the jade art carving to create more art," Hu said. Endi